I blend in. I'm just naturally drunk at this point. I'm right at home in a bar even if the drink I have in front of me is a club soda. I'm also not a reformed anti-drinking nazi that's trying to convert anybody. I love drinking. I just have to have others do it for me now. No one should quit unless it's seriously screwing up their life.

Well, the reasons I feel unobservant are two fold. I've been hanging around pool halls and playing since 1992. Players that are serious about their game are rarely heavy drinkers and frequently do not drink at all. THe second is that I should be a little but more aware of what kind of drink people have in their hands, given that I'm a non-drinker myself. I'm so used to people expressing surprise that I don't drink after they've seen me at the club for 2+ years, that you would think I would be less surprised. But I keep on being surprised. The only person at that club that didn't shock me to know he wasn't drinking was Augustine (who sits in the back corner) who sobered up in 93 or so in my old home group in eastern washington. One day I'm gonna walk into the club and every fucking one will be drinking 7-up and I won't notice.

It's true that your game goes to shit when you drink as I experienced when I went off the wagon for a few months. One drink maybe. Any more than that and my cue was all over the place along with my aim. There's only been a couple of people I've noticed playing better drunk. Few and far between. I learned to play pool when I got sober so I didn't have the mental block some people claim when they play pool if they don't have a drink.